Steaming Forward

The National Traction Engine Trust has appointed Kev Mills as the new editor of our excellent magazine 'Steaming'. Kevin has written a brief introduction into his background for those that do not personally know him, but before we hand over the reigns so to speak on behalf of the entire membership of the Trust I would like to thank Roger Mills for the sterling effort he has put into editing and producing Steaming over the past few years on our behalf. Great work, and I am sure we will continue to see his contributions in future editions.

Over to you Kevin!......................

As you will all be aware Roger Mills (no relation!) is stepping down as editor of Steaming this April. I'm sure we all agree he has done a grand job, particularly as it was a somewhat difficult start for him back in 2010.

I put myself forward for the job and I am very proud and not a little apprehensive to have been given the thumbs up. I literally grew up reading back issues of Steaming; school studies took a back seat to absorbing well-thumbed 1970s copies of the journal. More than anything else it shaped how I enjoy my passion of road engines. When I later, through chance, found myself employed in the magazine industry I would not be exaggerating to say the work of Messrs. Hawthorne, Blenkinsop and West inspired me a great deal. So, it is a great honour to be trusted with the stewardship of the journal of the NTET, an organisation that I have a great fondness for and a wish to see evolve to meet the changing needs of our wonderful hobby.

For those who don't know me or only know me in passing at various events and meetings: this has been a lifelong hobby for me, I cut my teeth as a schoolboy getting in the way around the engines at Amberley Museum in West Sussex and have been involved with steam ever since. I am not an engine owner, though I am extremely fortunate to have access to several and I maintain and rally the Robey tractor Village Queen on behalf of a good friend, Brian Knight. Roading and working float my boat, along with the nitty gritty of engine restoration though, alas, I am no engineer. I also have a deep interest in the history of engines, their owners and also the preservation movement.

Assisting me will be Dan Brothwell . You will all know Dan, he's been around the rally fields and the family Ruston agricultural Hildary since the day he was born and his hobby has become his livelihood, working as he does as a project manager at a Derbyshire boiler making firm. Recently he has become the Trust's "man in Brussels" - well almost, he's taken on the role of FBHVC rep. All of this, his mass of contacts and his habit of rallying countrywide makes him the ideal man to take on 'Steaming Around'. This we hope to revamp somewhat...

Our aim is to provide an informative, entertaining, quality journal – but we will need your help. I have received plenty of ideas and are promised more - please keep them coming, via email. Well known he may be, but Dan will need help getting nuggets of information from all corners of the country.